Lock for meter box cover



July 1935- THOMAS ZMUZSD LOOK FOR METER BOX COVER Filed April 17, 1935 .5 ing and which is Patented July 9, 1935 ENT OFFICE:

Loc FOB METEREOX COVER 3 Charles moms-Ausfim rex. as stants ips Engine Works Austin, Tex.

' A ication A r l 1v.-19 ;;.sera1 m. 1.6.888. j 3 Claims. (c 7044 This invention relates to a lock for use in connection with meter box covers. 1

It isan object of the invention to provide a. structure which can be readily formed by castso constructed as to be easily assembled. V r

A further object is to provide a lock for meter box coverswhich will act eflicientlyto fasten the cover in closed position, it beingpossible to re. movethe cover only after a key has been inserted: thereinte.

A still further object is to: provide a lockwith.

a single movable part mounted in such a manner that friction will be reduced to theminirnurn and? the lock can: thus be actuated readily by its key.

With the foregoing and other objects. in View which will appear as the description proceeds. the inyentioncpnsists; of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure l is a bottom plan View of cover and the lock carried thereby.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4--4 Figurel.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5- 5 Figure 1.

Referring to'the flguresby characters of reference, I designates a meter box cover the marginal portion of which isadap't'ed to be seated on the open topof a meter'box 2, there being an inwardly extended annular flange 3 adjacent to the top as shown.

Formed on the bottom face of the cover is a boss 4 and projecting downwardly from the center of this boss is a stud 5 having oppositely extending lugs 6 forming a T-shaped head extended substantially radially'of the cover.

a meter box The boss 4 is interposed between arcuate bearing ribs 1 and 8 which are also formed integral with the bottom surface of the cover I and a suitable stop lug 9 extends downwardly from the cover for the purpose of limiting the swinging movement of a locking lever, as will be hereinafter explained.

A keyhole l0 extends through the cover near the boss and preferably adjacent to the rib 1, although that location is not essential.

Another lug II is extended from the cover at aipoint inwardly from the rib 1 while" adjacent tothe margin of the cover'at a point'substantially' diametrically opposite:i-the rib 8 is an: angular ea'r' tfihavinga finger. portion J 3 which extends: out:

wardly. toward the edge of the cover but is spaced therefrom a distance; substantially equal to the th c ess or th an e 3..

'1 The parts thus far described are all cast in one piece and associatedj with them is a. locking lever indicated at M. This lever alongitudinal 10 slot 1 5 at a pointbetween its ends so located that when thelever is moved through approximately 90-? from its normal or looking position, the slot will be located toreceive the T-shaped headformed by lug 6. Thus after the lever has been placed over this head it can be swung-about the stud 5 so; that the ing 6 will lock the lever and. ho it assembled w bo s-.4 a s own the drawing.

The lever has two arms indicated at It and ll respectively. Arm It has sliding contact with the rib 7 while arm ll has sliding contact with rib 8. A spring l8 connects arm I6 to the lug II and is constantly under tension. Thus the arm M of the lever is held normally pressed against the stop 9 at which time a beveled head l9, which is carried by arm I! will be positioned close to the margin of the cover I but spaced from the cover a distance substantially equal to the thickness of flange 3.

When it is desired to place the cover in position the ear I2 is lowered into the meter box so that finger or extension l3 can be slipped under flange 3. The beveled face of head I9 is then lowered into contact with the flange at a point substantially diametrically opposite ear I2 and if sufficient pressure is exerted thereagainst the lever will be caused to swing against the action of spring it until the head has passed below flange 3 at which time said spring will swing said head outwardly to its normal position where it will be located under the flange 3. Consequently the cover will be locked in place and cannot be removed until a proper key is inserted through the hole l8 and turned against arm I6 so as to swing it against the action of spring I8. This will result in the withdrawal of head I9 from under flange 3 so that the cover can then be lifted out of position.

If desired the bearing faces of the ribs 1 and I 8 can be slightly inclined so that the lever will tion resulting from the actuation of lever ll takes place between said lever and the narrow bearing faces of the ribs 1 and 8. As such friction is slight, the lever can be actuated readily by means of its key.

By locating the keyhole l adjacent to boss I and rib 1 said boss and rib can be utilized as baflles to prevent actuation of the lever by any key except one which is of the proper shape.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a meter box cover, of means extending therefrom for detachably engaging a meter box, spaced ribs upon the cover, a boss interposed between the ribs, a stud projecting from the boss and having, oppositely extending lugs providing a T-shaped head, said boss, stud, ribs and box engaging portions being all formed in a single piece, a lever fulcrumed on the stud and having a slot for receiving the T- shaped head when the lever is moved to a predetermined point away from looking position, said lever having oppositely extending arms positioned for sliding contact with the respective ribs, a box engaging locking head carried by one arm of the lever, a spring connecting the other arm of the lever to the cover for exerting a constant pull thereupon, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the lever under the action of the spring, there being a keyhole in the cover adjacent to the lever.

2.'The combination with a meter box cover, of means extending therefrom for detachably engaging a meter box, spaced ribs upon the cover, a boss interposed between the ribs, a stud projecting from the boss and having oppositely extending lugs providing a T-shaped head, said boss, stud, ribs and box engaging portions being all formed in a single piece, a lever fulcrumed on the stud and having a slot for receiving the T- shaped head when the lever is moved to a predetermined point away from locking position, said lever having oppositely extending arms positioned for sliding contact with the respective ribs, a box engaging locking head carried by one arm of the lever, a spring connecting the other arm of the lever to the cover for exerting a constant pull thereupon, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the lever under the action of the spring, there being a keyhole in the cover adjacent to the lever, portions of the boss and one of the ribs constituting baflles for preventing actuation of the lever by any but a selected key.

3. The combination with a meter box cover, of means extending therefrom for detachably engaging a meter box, spaced ribs upon the cover, a boss interposed between the ribs, a stud projecting from the boss and having oppositely extending lugs providing a T-shaped head, said boss, stud, ribs and box engaging portions being all formed in a single piece, a lever fulcrumed on the stud and having a slot for receiving the T-shaped head when the lever is moved to a predetermined point away from looking position, said lever having oppositely extending arms positioned for sliding contact with the respective ribs, a box engaging locking head carried by one arm of the lever, a spring connecting the other arm of the lever to the cover for exerting a constant pull thereupon, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the lever under the action of the spring, there being a keyhole in the cover adjacent to the lever, the bearing faces of the ribs being pitched to impart a slight tilt to the lever during its actuation by the spring thereby to guide the head toward the cover during such actuation.

CHARLES THOMAS. 

